Concrete form



A. L. ALIN CONCRETE FORM Jul 1, 1930.

Filed Jill izs. 192v:-

1 INVENTOR H82 1.. 0/07 In the drawings:

Patented July 1', 1930 entree STATES AKE L. ALLEN, or SPOKANE,WASHINGTON CONCRETE mm Applicationffiled 311113 25,

' My invention relates to forms "for use casting concrete and refersparticularly to forms whichare-adjustable in size to provide finishedconcrete shapes of 'diiferent dimen- 5 sions.

It isithe practice erecting concrete structures to provide forms todetermine the finished shape ofthe structure. These forms usually areconstructed :of wood erected es pec'ia'l ly for the purpose are removedwhen the concrete has set. "It is necessary to 'erect a form for eachstructure and to provide'fo'rms of different size for-different sizedstructures. The labor of assembling, erecting and remov ingthe formsmust be gone through witheac'h time t'hey'are used. 7 7

It is an Object of my invention to lessen materially the labor necessaryto erect and remove a concrete form. I a

'Another'obj'ect of invention-ism provide a form which can'be used aplurality of times without total dismantling each time.

Arurther object of my invention is to rovide a concrete "form'whic'h'canbe utilized on concrete shapes of different sizes. r A further objectofmy invention isto provide a concrete form whichcan be put in positionand dismantled quickly and easily.

An additional object of my invention is to prov-idea simple lockingdevice forfian adjustabl'e concrete'fo rm. v

My invention possesses other advantageous features, some of-which withthe foregoing 'willbe se'tf forth'at length in the following descriptionwhere I shall outline in full that form of-the concrete form 'Ofmyinvention, which I have selected for illustration in the drawingsaccompanying and forming part of the present specification. In'saiddrawings Iliave shown-one form of concrete form embodyingmy invention,but it is to be'understood that I do not limit myself tosuch form sincethe invention, as set forth in the claims, *may be embodied in aplurality lof' forms.

Fig. 1 is aside elevation of aj form ofj m y invention adapted for u'sewith a column.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail "ofa corner 'of v p jmetaland'c'onvenientlyjoinedtothe railgby the several'beuse. Preferablythe plates are the form of my invention.

""5 Fig-58 is across section'ofthe form of my 1927. Serial No. 208,091.

invention adjacent 'a corner, the plane o'f section being indicated byline 3+3 in Fig. 2.

In its preferred embodiment," the concrete form' of my inventionpreferably comprises a plurality of walla-each wall being made up of apair of rails movable towardand away from each other in "fixed;relationshipfand each being provided with a pl-ate, the platesoverlapping to form a continuous confining surface-for the concrete. T v

The adjustable form "of' my invention is capable offavariety 'of usesand is described herein as adapted for forming columns "of concrete. Itof coursecan be used in making "beams and "other structuralunits butfinds 565 perhaps its widest range of applicability to columns. Inmaking the form of-my invention, I ,preferablyprovide a pair offrails 6and? which conveniently can be metal shapes such as angles. The railsgenerally are dis posed in parallel relationship although in someinstances they can be inclined. As disclosed in the drawing, the railsare preferably parallel and areoined by means for permitting them to bemoved toward and away from each other but at the same time maintainingtheir parallelism."

These means preferably comprise a. plurality of bars8, Which also can bemetallic angleajoining the rails. The bars'are aper- Jt-ure'd at eachend and are pivoted to the rails at, suitably spaced points.Preferablyythe bars are spaced farther} apart adjacent the top of theform asgthe 'load'in that region is not as great as it is adj aeent thebottom where the bars :are more closely spaced. The "plurality ofpivoted-bars '8 permit the rails 6 and 7 to be moved toward and awayfrom each other with some longitudinal ior axial displacement but at thesame time maintain the rails 'in'parallel relationship. A convenientform of pivotal'connection between the rails and the bars 8is by meansof fiat headed bolts 19 and nuts 10 which permitthe dismantling ofthe'various portionsif desired. I I To form an abutment for retainingthe concrete. within theform, each of the rails 6 and (is provided witha plate 1'2, usually ofsheet of thin section and overlap adjacent themidportion of the bars 8. The overlapping plates permit lateralexpansion and contraction of the rails relative to each other butnevertheless provide a substantially continuous wall for the retentionof concrete.

Means are provided for retaining the two rails 6 and 7 in fixed lateraladjustment and these means conveniently take the form of apertures 13passing thru the plates 12 for the reception of suitable fastening meanssuch as stove bolts and nuts for securing the plates 12 together. Thisprovides an adjustable fastening means for maintaining the widt-h of thewall formed by the plates and fails at a fixed amount. A plurality ofsuch apertures 13 permit-various lateral widthsto be given the wall. f Vj The usual column is rectangular in transverse section and I thereforeusually provide four of the described expansible walls to encompass thespace for the column. The four walls are joined together by suitablefastening means which can quickly and easily be placed in position. Ateach corner, the angles 6 and7 are preferably disposed as shown in Fig.3. On each angle 6 and abutting. the corresponding plate 12 is a strip14 which extends for the entire length of the angle and is adapted tolie against the plate 12 of the adjacent angle 7. Against the strip 14is a strip 16 on angle 7 which extends for the full length of that anglealso but is interrupted at intervals to accommodate the heads of thebolts 9. V e

To hold the strips 14 and 16 in close abutment to prevent the escape ofany concrete thru the joint at the corner, I provide a plurality ofwedges 17 preferably aflixed to the angles 6 at intervals throughouttheir length and which can be suitably attached thereto as by welding.Adapted to cooperate with the wedges 17 are a corresponding number oftie strips 18 spanning the adjacent angles and overlying the wedges.Each tie strip at one end is hooked to fit over the cooperating wedge 17and at the other endis also hooked to slip over the projecting portionof angle 7. When the tie strips 18 are forced downwardly over theircorresponding wedges 17, they force the two angles 6 and 7 into abuttingrelationship and, together with strips 14 and 16, provide a very tightjunction. The tie strips can readily be forced into place with a hammerand can as readily be released.

Thelongitudinal movement of the'rails 6 and 7 to vary the lateral widthcauses diflerences in the total length of the Walls, and for that reasonI have provided means at the top and bottom of my form to continue theplates 12. At the top of the column I provide a plurality ofoverlappingsheets 19 and 21 which arev suitably bolted together. These sheetspreferably lie withinthe overlapped plates 12 and are secured in placeby perforated anerected and locked in position.

heights and contours to accommodate a beam or other shape extendingacross the top of the column.

At the bottom of each of the walls formed with my device, I usuallyleave an aperture to permit cleaning out of the interior of the form, orthe aperture can be sealed by a clean out plate 24 of suitableconfiguration which will seat between the plates 12 and the lower crossbar 8. The clean out plate 24 preferably is held in place by a tongue 26projecting from the adjacent angle 6 and, passing through a perforationin the plate. A key 27 passing through a similar perforation in thetongue holds the plate 24 in place.

In using the concrete form of my invention,

tened together by suitable bolts passing through apertures 13. Theextension sheets 19 and 21 are then bolted to the plates 12 at each sideand the four walls arethen erected to vertical position with their lowerends positioned within the collar. Vhen thefour walls are erected, thetie strips 18 are applied to the angles 7 and the various wedges17, andare driven into place. The form' is thus After the four walls areerected, the extension sheets 19 and 21 are joined togetherand thesecuring strips 22 are fastened in place. When the interior of the formhas been cleaned, the clean out plates 24 can be moved into positionandthe form is ready to receivev the concrete.

I claim: t V j V 1. A concrete form comprising a pair of overlappingsheets, a rail on each of said sheets, a plurality of bars pivotallyattached to both of said rails, and means for retaining spaced position.7 V

3. A concrete form comprising a pair of intersecting walls, a flange oneach of said walls, said flanges being in abutting relationship, aplurality of wedges on one of said flanges, and a plurality of tiestrips'engaging the other of said flanges and said wedges for securingsaid walls in position.

- A c n r m QQmP n a pluia r ,tions for maintaining said rails inselected of abutting walls arranged to form a po1yhe-.

my hand' AKE L ALIN

